She's Something
by HedwigBlack
Summary: Theo Nott takes a ride on the Knight Bus and meets someone very interesting. For the 1 Character 1 Prompt Challenge


**For the 1 Character 1 Prompt challenge. I chose the prompt stare and got the character Theo Nott. Reviews appreciated :)**

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Theo lay awake in his bed listening to the rain beat against his bedroom window. He'd been tossing and turning all night but to no avail. Sleep simply would not come. He squeezed his eyes shut trying to block out the sound but he couldn't and the memories that accompanied the sound of rain rose to the forefront of his mind.

_He was seven and he was pretending to sleep…His mother was watching the rain from the rocking chair in the corner…she opened the window and crawled out…she was standing on the roof with her face raised to the sky… and then she wasn't…_

Theo threw the covers off. He couldn't stay here anymore. He'd only been home from Hogwarts for two weeks but it had already seemed like an eternity. This house, this room, the sound of his father's voice, were all driving him mad and he didn't think he could bear it another second. Without thinking, he pulled on some clothes grabbed his wand and what little gold he had and crept down the hallway. He paused in the doorway to the living room and saw that his father had fallen asleep in an armchair with an almost empty bottle of firewhiskey propped in the crook of his arm. Typical.

Theo tiptoed past the chair through the kitchen and out the door without bothering to look back and went out into the wind and rain. After a mile or so of walking without an agenda, it occurred to him how foolish a stunt this was. He had to go back home sometime. He had nowhere else to go.

And when a wizard has nowhere else to go he sticks out his wand hand.

Theo stopped by the side of the road and stuck out his right hand and stood for a few moments until he heard the telltale signs that the Knight Bus was approaching. Trash bins clanged as they jumped aside, the roar of the engine could be heard a mile away, and the huge purple bus screeched to a halt splattering Theo with water as it splashed through a puddle.

Stan Shunpike opened the door and walked down the steps and Theo shoved some gold in his hand before he could start his welcoming speech.

"Welco- oh, hey, Theo! Look Ern! It's Theo!"

Theo took a bed that was laid out toward the back of the dimly lit bus. Most people were already sleeping. Stan threw him a towel to dry off and came to lean against the wall as Ern put the Knight Bus in gear and zoomed off.

"Where to, Theo?" Stan asked.

Theo groaned and fell back against his pillow. "Anywhere but here."

Stan shrugged and walked back to the front of the bus.

The rolled onto his side and he found that there was one passenger who was not asleep that he hadn't noticed before. Normally Theo didn't bother paying attention to people on the bus as they were usually Squibs or older folks who couldn't Apparate anymore. But this particular person was fascinating.

She was about his age or perhaps a little younger. Her blonde hair flowed down her back in waves and her big grey eyes reflected the lights that were passing outside. He also noticed that there was a single tear sliding down her cheek.

Things that Theo did not notice were that she was wearing radish earrings, that there was an unusually large purple flower stuck in her hair, and that she was holding on to a teddy bear even though she looked much too old to be carrying around a stuffed animal. He also did not notice that while he had been studying her features, she had turned to study his as well.

The sound of her voice startled him. "You're staring."

It wasn't a question or even an accusation. It was merely an observation. Theo nodded but then realized how rude he must seem. "I wasn't… I mean I didn't mean… I… sorry," he stammered.

The girl shrugged her shoulders and looked back out the window. "It's all right. I'm used to it."

Theo was suddenly overcome with curiosity. Why was she alone on the Knight Bus too? Where was she going? And why would she be used to being stared at?

Theo cleared his throat a little. "Why…"

The girl turned to face him again and he stopped completely tongue-tied. What was wrong with him? He tried again. "Why would people be staring at you?"

The girl frowned in confusion and looked down at her bear. "I don't know. People seem to find my earrings amusing. But I wear them anyway." She looked up and smiled dreamily at him which made him glad because at least she wasn't crying now.

"I hadn't noticed," he replied.

"Where are you going?" She asked turning completely away from the window. She hugged her bear to her chest. He then realized that it wasn't actually a bear that she was holding. It was brown and furry but the head looked more like a rhinoceros. At least it had a horn like one. Theo decided to pretend that he hadn't noticed this as well and continued to talk.

"I don't know yet," he finally admitted. He honestly didn't want to think about it. He was enjoying himself talking to the girl instead. He hoped that she would be staying for a while. "Where are you going?"

"I'm on my way home. I was in Sweden looking for a Crumple-Horned Snorkack. I do that sometimes when I'm bored. I thought about staying the night there but I figured my father would worry."

"What is a Crumple-Horned…?"

"Snorkack," she promptly finished for him. "It's a very rare magical creature. Like this." She held up her stuffed animal proudly. "Or at least we think this is what it looks like. No one knows for sure."

Theo nodded, not sure what the appropriate response to this piece of information was. Suddenly the bus came to a screeching halt and neither Theo nor this strange girl was prepared. Theo found himself lying on his back with her sprawled on top of him, her face inches from his. He blushed in embarrassment but she didn't seem fazed at all. She reached over and grabbed her stuffed Snorkack and then got up to get the rest of her things.

"This is my stop. I'll see you around, Theo."

"Goodbye- wait… how do you know my name?" He was sure he hadn't told her. If he had he would have asked hers and now that she was about to leave he was dying to know it.

"Didn't you say it was Theo?" she asked. She made to head towards the front of the bus and the door.

"No I didn't." Theo finally got up off the floor and followed behind her.

The girl didn't turn around. "Oh, it was a lucky guess, I suppose," she said airily.

"Well, I'm no good at guessing so what's yours?" Theo said quickly, sensing that she was hurrying to get home.

She didn't answer until she stepped off the bus out into the pouring rain. Just before the doors shut she called out to him. "Luna!"

And then the bus was zooming away again, leaving her out in the dark.

"Luna," Theo repeated.

Stan gave him a knowing glance. "She's a Lovegood. Bit loony if you ask me."

Theo merely walked back to his bed and stared at the now empty one across from him. "I don't know about loony." He lay down and started to drift off to sleep, deciding to allow himself a few hours before going home. "She's… something." Maybe he'd go to Sweden instead and look for furry horned animals. "Yeah." He yawned and closed his eyes. "She's definitely something."


End file.
